As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
William ShakespeareRead
The empty vessel makes the loudest sound.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People who have little knowledge often make the most noise.
This quote by Shakespeare suggests that those who are the least informed or knowledgeable often speak the loudest, drawing attention to themselves. It serves as a reminder to listen closely, as those who are truly wise may be more reflective and less prone to boastfulness.
Themes
KnowledgeWisdomHumilitySpeechNoise
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate, a participant used this quote to highlight the importance of informed opinions.
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Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
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Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
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There is no proof. There are no authorities whatever. No president, Academy, Court of Law, Congress or Senate on this earth has the knowledge or power to decide what will be the knowledge of tomorrow. There is no use in trying to prove something that is unknown to somebody who is ignorant of the unknown, or fearful of its threatening power. Only the good old rules of learning will eventually bring about understanding of what has invaded our earthly existence.
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